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It would take nothing short of a sea change to overcome Congressional inertia and recover the ground lost in the last 25 years or so. But though the prospects for a truly coherent national energy policy are improving -- and the need has never been greater -- both the citizenry and the current Congress are far too complacent to entertain changes that might involve belt-tightening and discipline.

We can change the lifeblood of our economy from oil to ingenuity. It is that way in communications. It was that way with transportation. Open rights of way to innovation. Ingenuity will flourish or fail based on the value created minus the cost to compete.

I am no longer worried. Now that I understand there is no energy crisis, no ingenuity crisis, only the need for well-meaning bureaucracies to adapt policies to rapidly changing assumptions, I am terrified.

While all investments pose some degree of risk, the return on a solar energy system is about as safe and predictable as, well, the rising sun. Fortunately for the Earth and its varied inhabitants, the center of our solar system is situated well beyond the reach of humanity's capacity to tamper with a good thing.

We are being marginalized, patronized and ignored by our current energy policies. We're not being encouraged, or even invited, to participate individually in the solution to the problem. I feel that it's incumbent upon each of us to "plant our own renewable energy ‘Victory Gardens'".

Few people realize what a huge impact several hundred thousand solar water heaters can have on a country's energy demand. Thermal solar (heating water) is a sensible and efficient way to avoid the expense and potential danger of nuclear plants. Hot water is always needed and solar energy is the best method to meet those demands. Since thermal solar heats our oceans, isn't it about time we utilize the proven technology of solar water heaters?

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